The loss droppped MIT to 5-3, while Springfield now stands at 6-4, including a 5-0 record against Division III opponents.

Angel Perez also stuffed the stat line with eight kills, hitting .583 to go along with eight digs and five blocks. Greg Falcone recorded six kills on 10 errorless attempts while posting a match-best seven blocks and three service aces. Keaton Pieper directed Springfield's offense to a .391 hitting percentage while dishing out 28 assists.

For the Engineers, Matt Hohenberger recorded eight kills, as did Ken Siebert. David Thomas tallied a team-best five digs, while Patrick Vatterott totaled four kills and three blocks. MIT hit .114 for the contest and Paul Syta delivered 24 assists.

The Engineers jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the first set after Alex Klein and Vatterott combined for a double block. The Pride settled down and answered back with a 8-2 run, capped off by a big double block from Jimmy O’Leary and Pieper on a MIT back-row attack.

After a Springfield service error brought the visitors within two at 13-11, the Pride reeled off six of the next seven points, including three consecutive blocks including to snag a 19-12 advantage. Hitting .450 for the frame, the Pride cruised the rest of the way and took the first set 25-19 following an MIT service error.

Vatterott connected on a kill early in the second set to even things at four-all. Falcone sided out with a kill and then Springfield used a block from O'Leary and Perez and another Falcone ace to get a three-point cushion. Springfield held an 11-7 advantage, but this time MIT used a run of their own, a 4-0 burst, capped off by a Klein kill to even the score at 11.

TOP 25 SCORES

No. 2 Springfield (Mass) 3, No. 5 MIT 0

No. 13 Ramapo 3, New Jersey City 1

Following a long rally on the next point, Pelletier crushed a ball down the line to kick-start a 5-2 run which forced MIT into a timeout at 16-13. The Engineers were unable to get any closer than two in the set and Falcone and John Coen combined for a huge stuff to end the second 25-18.

Springfield trailed 4-3 in the third before Pelletier came through with two key plays. He tied the score at four with a kill and then notched a big solo stuff, fueling Springfield's 8-1 run that gave the hosts an 11-5 lead.

Led by Perez's four kills in the set, Springfield hit .429 for the game, and coupled with the Engineers .034 attack percentage, the Pride never looked back. Alistair Matthews came off the bench and provided the exclamation point to the match with a kill from the right side to end the match, 25-15.